The fight against vehicular protection associations was one of the major debates at the 21st event’s edition

By: Carlos Pacheco

If there was any doubt about the union of a trade class around its main banners, the 21st Brazilian Insurance Brokers Congress, which took place in the paradisiac Costa do Sauípe, Bahia State, took charge to take them out, one by one. Some 3,5 thousand brokers – some of them along with their families – took place in technical panels and networked on the stands of the 20th Exposeg. This Congress edition’s model, organized by the National Federation of Insurance Brokers (Fenacor) and Sincor Bahia, that happened among a resort, surrounded by beautiful green spaces, was approved by the professionals. The theme couldn’t be more auspicious: “Challenges for the resumption of growth”.

The first panel suggested to the attendants that they pointed the ways for the resumption of growth in Brazil and the Pensions reform (approved by the Senate). Under the mediation of Fenacor’s president, Armando Vergílio, the presidents Márcio Coriolano, of CNseg, and Jorge Nasser (FenaPrevi) highlighted the favorable environment to the business growth in the insurance sector, a thesis that was endorsed by Special Secretary of Pensions and Labor, Rogério Marinho, who listed the government’s actions for reducing the State’s size.

The chair of the Susep superintendency, Solange Vieira, in her turn, was very objective in her analysis: she defended the development of new products, the creation of a competitive environment, with new players, and the adoption of technology, among other measures. Beyond mentioning the recent initiatives of the authority, Solange also defended the insurance brokers self-regulator, emphasizing that the category already has the “sufficient maturity for this”. About the market itself, Solange reinforced a view, repeated since she took office: the arrival of more insurance companies to promote a healthy competition.

The future of the market and the insurer versus broker relation, theme of the second panel, mediated by the attorney Antonio Penteado Mendonça, was object of debate between some of the main insurers’ leaders: Antônio Trindade (FenSeg), Vinícius Albernaz (Bradesco Seguros), Francisco Caiuby Vidigal Filho (Sompo Seguros) and José Adalberto Ferrara (Tokio Marine Seguradora). All of the leaders mentioned their main actions for the growth of strategic portfolios, announced new products and analyzed the insurtech phenomenon. They were unanimous in pointing the broker as the main distribution channel, naming them, above all, a risk consultant to their clients.

War against cooperatives

But, obviously, the debate about the vehicular protection cooperatives market, considered “outlaws”, attracted most of the attention and filled up the auditorium. Roberto Santos (Porto Seguro), Nuno Vieira (E&Y Financial Services), Luís Gutiérrez (Mapfre Seguros), Murilo Riedel (HDI Seguros), and also the mediator, Robert Bittar, president of the Business and Insurance School, “subscribed” the data on the Ernst & Young report on the vertiginous assault of the vehicular protection marked, that moves, according to the report, between R$ 7,1 billion and 9,4 billion per year. Ernst & Young estimates that there are 4,5 million associates in the cooperatives. “The numbers are overwhelming. If this associations’ price is competitive, on the other hand, there aren’t any protection for the consumers”, alerted Nuno Vieira. Non-regulated by the Susep, the cooperatives grew, aided by a fertile environment, according to Murilo Reidel. “The subject deserves a deep strategic planning study”, added Luís Gutiérrez. All of them, nevertheless, were unanimous in pointing the main failure that paved an open path to the associations: the lack of an adequate communication with the insurance buyer.

Technology

Innovation and insurtechs are on the agenda of the insurance brokers and deserved a specific panel, mediated by the CQCS founder, Gustavo Dória. In that panel, Mongeral Aegon, Porto Seguro, Generali and Velo Seguro brought successful cases that used technological tools. Velo Seguro president and broker, Duilly Cicarini was the first presenter. He stimulated the attendants to be on the bike insurance market, “today a reference of product with excellent acceptance”.

Nuno Pedro David, chief market officer of Mongeral Aegon, said that the company pursues important partnerships with institutions like PUC-Rio and IRB Brasil RE, to enable projects like the Insurtech Innovation Programs, which encourages participants to create innovative solutions that generate a positive impact on the insurance and reinsurance market.

Nery Silva, head of Generali Global Corporate, highlighted the role of the organization, considered one of the 50 most modern companies in the world. “We worked very hard toward this goal, aiming to formulate important technological solutions”. The last presenter, the commercial VP of Porto Seguro, Rivaldo Leite, explained the operation of the “Conquest” platform, just launched by the company. “The platform works for the broker 24/7”, he revealed.

Press conferences

The “outlaw market” subject was the main theme of the Fenacor press conference with the trade journalists. Initially, the chairman Armando Vergílio made compliments about the event and the themes debated, in special the panel about the outlaw market of the cooperatives. According to him, measures against the associations were taken on the consumer protection bureaus, the Federal Police, Public Attorney office and the Federal Regional Court. About the self-regulation of the brokers, Vergilío admits that the regulatory body doesn’t have sufficient structure to oversee all of the category. “Even if Susep quintuples its size, it will remain unable to perform preventive overseeing of around 40 thousand active brokers”, he warned. The School of Business and Insurance (new name for the National Insurance School – ENS), had the goal of enlarging the visibility of the market repositioning announced during the congress, that included its visual identity redesign. The main spokespeople of the ENS were present: Robert Bittar (chairman), Tarcisio Godoy (general director), Maria Helena Monteiro (technical education director) and Mario Pinto (higher education director).

In Godoy’s opinion, the ENS is ready to conquer new markets. “All was thoroughly thought, and the execution will follow this planning accordingly”. Bittar commented about the institution’s challenges from now on. “This is the first time the school will operate outside the insurance segment. But we have expertise of almost 50 years in the educational sector, with excellence verified by the Education Ministry. We are ready to take this quantitative leap, keeping the quality that always underscored our education”.